


Growing Up

by colazitron



Category: Star Trek RPF
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-09-01
Updated: 2009-09-01
Packaged: 2017-11-27 08:24:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/659875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/colazitron/pseuds/colazitron
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eric and his wife have this list of people they allow each other to sleep with should the occasion ever arise. Bruce is on the list. So what now?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Growing Up

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sevenpoints](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sevenpoints/gifts).



****

Growing Up

+++

Eric had really been looking forward to Star Trek. Doing a movie that would make him unrecognizable meant they had wanted his acting, not his delicious hair, deep soulful eyes, crooked smile or whatever else made girls and women swoon. And, yes, he did realize he was probably too old for such worries. But even his hair would gray (Had already, actually. Just a little though. Oh, the wonders of hair dye…) and he’d have more wrinkles than made him „so experienced and sooo sexy“ (yes with three o’s) and then –

Well, anyway.

So. He had really been looking forward to it (also because: _J.J. Abrams! STAR TREK!!_ ) and then he had gotten the complete cast list. Which had made his mind go “Leonard effing Nimoy? Cool… oh, that Heroes guy. … huh…. Huh, again. … eh, never heard.. is he? No… Who’s _that_?” for some time and finally “Shit. Bruce _Greenwood_?!”

See, when Eric had been in college (and he didn’t even want to think about how long ago that had been) he had developed the most epic of man-crushes on Bruce Greenwood. And later, when he had met his wife, they had made that list of celebrities they’d allow each other to have sex with should the occasion ever arise (Johnny Depp would have to be shared in a threesome), because they were even more childish than Klaus or Sophia, actually. And on top of his to-do-list (snigger) was Bruce Greenwood.

But, yeah, they had made that list decades ago and they had only been dating back then, not married with two kids. So, really, asking her whether she still meant that would most probably be pushing it. Even if they were realistic about their marriage. They knew that the sex drive would most probably decline over time and that they would have fantasies about other people. As long as they didn’t act them out though they had decided not to feel guilty.

Which had helped them and their marriage. A lot. Since they had started telling each other said fantasies most of them ended in “and then you come home and it’s still so much better than with them”. And they weren’t even lying.

It was just… dirty talking to Rebecca about how he’d let Bruce drive into him however hard or soft, fast or slow he wanted and actually doing it were two very different things. And he loves his wife, dearly. So he wasn’t going to jeopardize anything. He’d be Nero and Bruce would be Captain Pike and that would be it.

At least he had planned that to be it.

And then he seemed to have left the cast list lying around (yes, Freud, by accident) and the next day his to-do-list had been placed next to, smelling of Chanel’s “Allure”. Bruce’s name had been crossed out and Rebecca had written “I want to know everything afterwards” next to it.

He blamed her for his racing heart the day he had met Bruce. He blamed him for the blush when he had told Eric he was glad his captor would be this good-looking. Sadly, he had no one but himself to blame for both of them not subsiding over time.

But despite his wife’s consent he was not going to do anything about this. Bruce had not shown any sign of interest apart from that comment at the beginning of their acquaintance and anyway, risking awkwardness on set just so they could fuck would have been highly unprofessional. And Eric hated unprofessional.

So he contented himself with the companionship that had spanned between them (even if he was actually closer to the others in age than to him) and sometimes Karl (it really couldn’t be about age…) and they sat back together watching the easy way Anton reverted everyone back into teenagers. There were prank wars going on and dares passed out and Eric loved exchanging amused smiles with Bruce.

While they didn’t have that many scenes together and wouldn’t normally be on set together quite that often, J.J. timed the days so that the whole main cast spent as much time together as possible to have them build up chemistry. It was inconvenient, in a way, because it meant he had to stay longer, but it showed a lot of dedication to the film and to doing this right on J.J.’s part and Eric respected that more than the inconvenience could have bothered him.

“One of these days,” Bruce started out with a slow smile, pulling his gaze from the others back to Eric. “Someone’s going to take him up on it.”

Eric had to follow the line of Bruce’s gaze back to where it had been before to be sure who he was talking about. Anton sat in between Zoe and Chris, playfully tugging on a strand of her incredible hair and laying his other hand on Chris’ thigh as he laughed at something the blonde had said. (Most probably it really hadn’t been that funny, either.)

Anton out-flirted them all. It was like a sport or game to their youngest. Most of the time, Eric figured, he probably didn’t even realize. And even if he did, he was pretty sure he didn’t actually mean anything by it. Still…

“I don’t think he’d mind that much,” he laughed gently. He just couldn’t picture Anton as naïve enough to be completely overrun should someone press him to follow through on everything he was insinuating. And judging by those shoulders, he could probably defend himself if he needed to. So why not let him have his fun?

Bruce joined in with quiet chuckles.

“I think you’re right about that.”

“Would you take him up on it?” Eric asked, genuinely curious. Even though Anton wasn’t as aggressive towards them (ah, age…) he didn’t exempt them. Bruce chuckled again.

“I don’t think that situation’s ever going to arise. But even so, speaking hypothetically, I wouldn’t. Don’t you think if he meant it, he’d be emotionally attached? And as sweet as the kid is, that’d never work.

“Hm,” Eric made, agreeing. Anton did seem to be the type to at least crush easily.

“Would you?” Bruce asked, raising an eyebrow at him. Eric looked at him and shook his head.

“He’s not on the list,” he said without thinking.

“List?” Bruce asked, smiling benignly. Eric grinned a little and ran a hand over his head.

“Yeah. Becca and I made these lists way back when we started dating of celebrities we’d allow each other to sleep with if we should ever get the chance. Anton was like six back then so naturally he’s not on it,” he explained. Bruce looked at him, his eyes showing only amusement and intrigue.

“She did that even though you’re an actor?” Bruce asked. Eric shrugged it off.

“I really wasn’t that well-known back then. At least not in the Hollywood-circles, so it was a pretty save deal, actually. And we did promise each other to introduce us to them should we ever meet them. Say, I met someone on her list, I’d have to introduce her to them.”

Now Bruce really did laugh out loud. Anton looked up and twinkled over at them, smiling like he knew what they were laughing about, before returning his attention to Chris and Zoe. That kid was a little creepy, Eric decided.

“So, who’s on your list then?” Bruce asked.

Eric would probably never know for sure what had made him say it. But somehow he looked straight into Bruce’s eyes, his face void of any signs of joking, openly and honestly and said,

“You, actually.”

The laughter left Bruce’s face as well and he stared at him for a long time, before closing his expression and getting up from his chair.

“You’re pushing it, Eric,” he informed him and walked away to discuss something or other with J.J. And, _holy shit_ , Eric thought, _Bruce wanted him too._

+++

The next few days passed in silence. Well, that was probably also due to the fact that Bruce and he had gotten a few days off because J.J. found the weather to be perfect to do all the San Francisco based scenes. Eric wasn’t in any of them and Bruce had joined them for a few hours only until he had been relieved of his Captain’s duties by Chris-Kirk.

After his mini-vacation, Rebecca took the kids back to Melbourne, school calling them back. Eric thought he probably hadn’t felt this alone before. (Which, yes, was a little ridiculous.)

+++

“That topic will never be mentioned again,” Bruce decided when they met the next time and upon Eric’s nod sat down next to him and started conversing about Susan and their past days together, like he thought maybe Eric didn’t know he had been married for over 20 years.

So, okay, Eric felt a little put down by Bruce’s reaction, but he could deal with it. And really, it was a stupid idea to tell him anyway. What he had thought would be coming of it, he couldn’t even say. He should have known that Bruce would never cheat on his wife. Hell, he had known that. He wouldn’t cheat on Rebecca either. This list business was probably silly. And most probably him sleeping with Bruce would have destroyed their marriage too because he actually would have told her all about it and then she would most probably have found out that she wasn’t as cool with it as she had thought she would be and from there on they’d go downhill and –

Eric really didn’t want to finish that thought (though it sounded vaguely like “we’ll stay together for Soph and Klaus and it’ll suck and they’ll hate us and it’ll suck!”).

+++

Bruce had seemed off all evening long. Eric had of course noticed and in a way it flattered him that those who also noticed, kept shooting him these looks that said “do something about it”, because it meant that their friendship was now a truth universally acknowledged. Only, Eric didn’t know what to do, because this had never happened before, and maybe, just maybe, he was still a little sore about being turned down when he had only ever so slightly insinuated an offer. Bruce could have ignored it and Eric would have understood the message just as well. Only his pride wouldn’t have been this hurt.

Surprisingly (or not, actually), it was Anton who had stayed close to the rather sour and much older actor for most parts of the evening, trying his best to keep him pleasant company and somehow raise his spirits.

It also made Eric feel bad. Anton shouldn’t be doing this. He was twenty years old, they were having a “Yay! We finally did it!” end of shooting party and he should be on the dance floor with Zoe and Jennifer, grinding. Or in a corner with Zach and Chris, bickering about literature. He shouldn’t be taking care of Bruce. Eric should be doing that.

So he finally downed the last drop of his beer and marched over to where they were conversing – civilly, it seemed – to tap on Anton’s shoulder.

“Mind if I cut in?” he asked and was once again fascinated by how fit Anton looked on his own and how frail he looked when he was looking down at him.

“By all means,” Anton smiled and it was that smile again. That smile that said “I know something you know, only you don’t know that I know too.” He nodded to Bruce and wished him a nice evening before gracefully turning around to leave the two older men alone.

“Wanna go outside?” Eric invited, inclining his head in the direction of the back door that lead into a little court yard. Bruce looked at him a little blankly, the smile he had worn for Anton slipping (and Eric was pretty sure Anton had known that that smile had been merely for him and used it to his full advantage) and got up. Eric took the silent consent for what it was and led the way outside.

The night wasn’t exactly warm but not that cold either yet. Bruce paced a little.

“Susan cheated on me,” he said, when he had stopped, staring directly at Eric. Eric kept quiet.

“Back when we hadn’t even had Kimberley yet. We had been going through a rough patch and she had hooked up with some guy from work.”

Bruce turned away from Eric’s blank gaze and ran his hands through his hair. Then he turned back, accusation in his eyes.

“Do you know why she told me? Because I told her about you. Because I told her about you and Rebecca and your _list_ and she suddenly looks at me, guilty and says ‘Bruce, there’s something I need to tell you’.”

He barked a short laugh, all disappointment and cruel amusement.

“I would have been happier not knowing.”

He shook his head, like he couldn’t believe she’d just tell him over a decade later that she had cheated on him. Then he looked up to meet Eric’s eyes and started to walk a little closer, his movements tired.

“Then she goes on to tell me how, if I wanted you, she wouldn’t hold it against me. She gave me a _free pass to fuck you_ , Eric.”

He laughed again. The same laugh, only the cruelty had almost overcome the disappointment now. He grabbed for Eric’s shirt and Eric let him. He could still push him off later. If he just wanted to hit him, he could take it.

“So, what do you say, boy, wanna fuck?”

Eric looked at him, pitiful and sympathetic because he couldn’t even begin to imagine the hell he’d go through if Becca cheated on him. The not knowing. Wondering how he could have missed it. What he had done wrong to make her do it. Whether she had done it again. Worst of all: had she been _in love_ with this other guy.

He shook his head.

“No.”

“Sure you do,” Bruce scoffed and crushed their lips together ( _warm, soft, Brue; no, no, no!!_ ), grabbing onto Eric’s head with surprising strength. Eric immediately reached his own hands up to claw Bruce’s from his hair and pressed his lips shut as hard as he could. Bruce struggled and tried to hold on, but Eric inevitably had the advantage and pulled him off, instead enveloping him in a bear hug, crushing his hands in between their bodies.

“You don’t want to do this, Bruce,” he told him and felt Bruce’s head sink to rest on his shoulder.

“No, I really do,” Bruce objected, his voice raw like he had been crying and yet he wasn’t shaking and there was no wetness on Eric’s shoulder.

“Tomorrow you won’t,” Eric assured him and let go of him slowly.

“C’mon, I’m taking you home,” he said, before steering Bruce back into the house and towards the front door. Making sure that Bruce would stay there, he turned to go fetch their jackets only to find Anton standing behind him, both of their jackets in his arms.

“You’re a good person,” he said and handed the garments to Eric. Eric just stared.

“How the hell do you know these things?” he couldn’t resist asking. Anton smiled at him like he sometimes found himself smiling at Klaus and Sophia.

“When you’re an only child you have to be good at reading people so you won’t offend them. You can’t afford to lose any friends because you have no brothers or sisters to fall back on. I’ve gotten _really_ good,” he explained.

“I’ll tell everyone you’ve already left. See you on the press tour,” he said, gave a little wave and disappeared into the crowd.

Bruce was silent throughout the entire ride in the cab. Only when he got out did he turn back to Eric, expression solemn.

“I hate you now, but I’ll probably thank you tomorrow.”

With that he closed the door, turned around and walked up to the house. Eric told the cab driver to drive him back to his hotel, where he practically ran up to his room and packed up the few things he had wanted to pack up tomorrow before leaving. He called the air line on his way to the airport, debating, charming and finally paying a little extra to be able to change his ticket to the next flight available.

Three hours of waiting and fifteen and a half hours of flight later, he got off the plane, hailed himself a cab and was a little grateful for it being Monday here, the kids being in school and Becca being at work. He didn’t bother unpacking, but just got out of his clothes and fell asleep the instant he hit the sheets.

He woke up to Becca’s hand running over the slowly forming stubble on his head. He blinked up at her lazily.

“What time is it?” he asked.

“Half past ten. I put the kids to sleep almost two hours ago. They want me to tell you that they’re thrilled you’re back early.”

Eric felt a smile tugging at his lips.

“Let’s not do the lists anymore,” he suggested and watched as a wide smile bloomed on her face before she leant down to kiss him.

“I knew you wouldn’t,” she said and he was proud of her for knowing him better than he did himself.

+++

The End 


End file.
